Vocation News from our Friars in Brazil

Posted on by

On October 28-29, 2020, an online meeting on youth and vocation ministry took place in the Conventual Franciscan Jurisdictions in Brazil. Those attending included: Friars Willian Gomes MENDONÇA and Luiz Henrique Nascimento LIMA from the Provincial Custody of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.

RCIA at The Catholic University of America

Posted on by

On Saturday, October 31st, Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Jude DeAngelo, OFM Conv. (top right & insert right – University Chaplain at The Catholic University of America), administered the Sacrament of Baptism to one student (above) and the Sacrament of Confirmation to a total of six students (below), who had completed RCIA instruction, through CUA Campus Ministry. Although our friars serving at CUA traditionally celebrate these Sacraments with the students during the Easter Vigil, this year’s celebration had to be deferred, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also on hand for the celebrations was Friar Andrzej Brzeziński, OFM Conv. (top left – Director of the RCIA program at the University), who had prepared the students.
Living in community in our SS. Francis and Clare Friary and serving at CUA with Friar Jude and Friar Andrzej, are Fr Louis Maximilian Smith, OFM Conv. and Fr. Albert Puliyadan, OFM Conv. Two more residents of our Washington DC Friary are a student friar from India (via the Our Lady of Consolation Province USA) – Fr. Tony Varghese Vattaparambil, OFM Conv. and our own Province Director of Vocations, Br. Nick Romeo, OFM Conv. (vocations@olaprovince.org).

News from our Wexford Friars

Posted on by

Our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody’s St. Francis Friary in Wexford, Ireland recently added a new statue of Our Seraphic Father, St. Francis.

As seen in the above photo, the new statue was blessed on All Saints Day, by the Guardian, Fr. Aquino Maliakkal, OFM Conv. (center), after being installed by Fr. Robert Cojoc, OFM Conv. (right). The friars have made several improvements in their garden over recent months, as Friar Aquino added new plants, and Bro. Solanus Mary Simms, OFM Conv. (left). & Friar Robert added bird feeders and bird baths.

NOTE: Not only is our province home to friars living and serving from the East Coast of the USA or in studies in Chicago and California, it is also home to friars of our friars of our Canadian Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi (Ontario, CA) and those of our two Province Custodies: Immaculate Conception Custody in Brazil and Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody in Great Britain/Ireland. In addition, we have friars serving in Italy, Vatican City, Australia, Switzerland and Japan. If you are from the USA or Canada, and feel called to serve Christ as a Franciscan Friars Conventual in our province, contact our Vocation Director, Br. Nick Romeo, OFM Conv. at vocations@olaprovince.org.
If you are from Great Britain/Ireland, visit the VOCATIONS page of their website.
If you are in the Rio de Janeiro area of Brazil, visit the VOCACIONAL page of their website.

Linda’s Walk 2020 – Thank You!

Posted on by

Thank you, from St. Clare Inn (Toronto, ON)!

As part of the virtual walkers supporting our St. Clare Inn ministry, a sampling of the lay staff of our Ellicott City, MD campus gathered on Monday, October 19, 2020 to walk the 5K together. Walkers included (below – left to right): Andrea Besok (Companions of St. Anthony), Julie Everhart (Provincial House), Linda Johnson (Companions of St. Anthony), Reilly Gates (Companions of St. Anthony), Randy Kail (Provincial House), Jim Whelan (Provincial House), Carol Derenge (The Shrine of St. Anthony), and her husband, who joined in on the fun.

For more information on St. Clare Inn, watch this short video:

To make donation to or get involved in our St. Clare Inn ministry
led by Our Lady of the Angels Province friar,
Br. Tom Purcell, OFM Conv.,
visit ST. CLARE INN.

We Remember the Faithfully Departed

Posted on by

All Souls’ Day, by Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch (1910)

Halloween – All Saints Day – All Souls Day
Hallow means a holy person or a saint. Halloween (October 31st) is another word for All Hallows’ Eve, because on the next day – November 1st, we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. Observed all over the world by many Christian Faiths, it is a day of celebrating the communion of saints; ordinary human beings who lived holy lives, in obedience to God’s will, and who now – in death – are in heaven for eternity. Everyone in heaven is a saint. As we respect & admire all of the deceased people who helped make the world a better place while still alive, we also honor the saints as the deceased who are especially honored by the Church, for having served God so faithfully. On November 2nd, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) we remember all those who have died before us, while we ask God’s mercy for them.

This year, in a very special way, we remember all those lives lost to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

As we approach Monday, November 2nd and the Feast of All Souls,
we remember our friars who have been met by Sister Death over the past year:

+Fr. Antone Kandrac, OFM Conv. ~ November 20, 2019
+Fr. Boniface Reinhart, OFM Conv. ~ December 28, 2019
+Fr. Edward Costello, OFM Conv. ~ February 18, 2020
+Fr. Brad Heckathorne, OFM Conv. ~ July 11, 2020
+Fr. Alvin Somerville, OFM Conv. ~ August 19, 2020

Daily Prayers for the Deceased
(Psalm 130)
V. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord, Lord hear my voice!
R. O let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading.
V. If You, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?
R. But with You is found forgiveness; for this we revere You.
V. My soul is waiting for the Lord, I count on His word.
R. My soul is longing for the Lord, more than watchmen for daybreak.
V. Let the watchmen count on daybreak, and Israel on the Lord.
R. Because with the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption, Israel indeed He will redeem from all its iniquity.
V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
R. and let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May all our departed brothers, sisters, relatives, friends and benefactors, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen
Let us pray. Lord God, You are the glory of believers and the life of the just. Your Son redeemed us by dying and rising to life again. Since our departed brothers, sisters, relatives, friends and benefactors of our Order believed in the mystery of our resurrection, let them share the joys and blessings of the life to come. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.